Speechless
by Itachilova101
Summary: Uchiha Itachi is a famous contemporary writing critic who can always find the flaws in writing. But, can one poet leave this cynical critic speechless?
1. Critque Corner

A/N: A new story! And it's ItaSaku! XD I love ItaSaku... :Drools:

* * *

It was another long day. The days were always long for Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's most well-known contemporary writing critic.

Days tended to become longer and longer when one did the same thing daily for almost five years; get a coffee, read his latest victim's work, get a coffee, reread the pathetic shit, get a coffee, start the critique, get another coffee, then get some more pathetic shit. Yes, the days were very long and the several coffees a day only served to keep Itachi awake.

"Hey, Uchiha," the editor-in-chief, Hatake Kakashi, said, tossing the newspaper Itachi worked for on his desk. "Your column's top in the charts again, keep it up."

Itachi simply nodded in response, in the middle of one of his early-morning coffees. He took the paper and set it to the side of his desk, going back to the pathetic piece of bullshit that was supposed to be a poem and started his critique.

_The writer seems to use their lack of specification as their most valuable tool; lack of illustration, lack of feeling, lack of personality. Despite the underlying sense of tragedy, there is no emotion behind the writer's words. Will said writer get out of this slump any time soon? Well, we'll have to see..._

Once Itachi finished reading what he'd written, he scoffed, crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the trash.

_Slump, how I hate thee._

"Hey, Itachi-kun!" called Hyuuga Tenten, the wife of the newspaper's CEO. "When are you going to hand in your column? There's a deadline, you know."

The Uchiha sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Almost finished," he lied, taking out a new sheet of paper.

He rewrote a new critique and read it over, feeling only half satisfied with it. He stood from his desk and walked over to Kakashi, handing him said critique for the poem.

Kakashi read it over and commented, "Sharp and to the point, as usual, Uchiha, good job."

Itachi nodded once again and looked to his watch.

"Mind if I head home?" he asked, taking off his reading glasses. "I'll email in my next column, I'm just not feeling too great."

"Maybe it's the ten million coffees a day," Kakashi replied, taking off his reading glasses and shoving them in his breast pocket. "Alright, but talk to Hyuuga first. He nearly castrated me the last time I let somebody go home early."

Itachi chuckled slightly then walked to Neji's office. He knocked on the door frame and asked, "Hey, can I go home?"

"Did you hand in your column?" asked the CEO, not even bothering to look at the Uchiha.

"Yeah, just now."

"Go, I expect your next column in on time."

"Isn't it always?" asked Itachi with a smirk.

Finally the Hyuuga looked at him and said, "You know, you're not the typical columnist that's always struggling with deadlines."

"What can I say? I'm a genius."

Neji chuckled and said, "Modest, too," while he waved his hand dismissively.

Itachi left the building quickly and got into is red corvette to head home. As he drove on the almost empty streets, he pressed his cellphone to his ear to find a message waiting for him.

"Hello, Itachi-chan," Itachi's mother said in the recorded message. "It's me again. I'm just calling to see how you've been, you haven't returned any of my calls and I'm starting to wonder if you're dead or not." Itachi noted the half-joking tone in his mother's voice. "We all miss you at home, including your father. Um, I hope you return this message sometime. I love you, bye."

Itachi flipped the phone shut and tossed it onto the other seat, speeding up as he headed into the other line so he could get onto the highway. Instead of being a "responsible driver" and stopping until he had enough room to get onto the highway, he only sped up even more and cut several cars off.

He clenched the wheel and grit his teeth as he pulled into his driveway.

Like hell his father missed him, it was more likely the evil dog that belonged to his parents' neighbors missed him more that his father did.

He was the one that kicked him out three years ago, after all.

He walked into his house and checked his phone to see that his mother left a message on that phone, as well.

_When will she get it through her skull that I am not going back there? _

Pushing the thoughts out of his mind, he went to his laptop on his desk and turned it on, starting his next critique.

His column, Critique Corner, was a weekly column only going into the Sunday issue of the most widely purchased newspaper, the Konoha Post, and was pretty much giving his own opinion on poems, short stories and other such manuscripts mailed to the newspaper's staff.

Constructive criticism, people called it, he preferred to call it a job where you get paid to insult people's work.

He was thrust out of his thoughts by his phone ringing and he didn't think before answering.

"Oh, you're home," Itachi's mother said and he mentally slapped himself.

"Hello, Mother," he greeted with a sigh.

"How are you, Darling?"

"Been better, been worse, we're all going to die anyways, right?"

"When do you think you're coming home?" his mother asked, cutting to the chase.

"I am home, Mother."

"You know, your father really misses you."

"And, for some reason, I doubt that."

"He really does," she continued. "It was a little disagreement you two had and he feels terrible for what he did."

"Well, I'm not going back," Itachi replied. "Father's just going to have to deal with the fact that I've got an apartment, a job. I know Father only wants me back so I can become a big hot-shot lawyer like himself and I don't want that."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is, and you know it," Itachi corrected. "Make Sasuke do it."

And, with that, he hung up before she could reply.

What was with his family and always giving him a migraine?

He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose.

_No rest for the weary, _he thought, getting back to work.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Do you like it? Please review! XD


	2. Jaded

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! It's, like, almost midnight here, so yeah... n.n;

* * *

"Hey, Uchiha!" called Neji. "What's the news?"

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi, taking off his reading glasses as he looked up from his latest critique.

"That newspaper you were given the other day," Neji said, "Did you read it?"

Itachi answered, "Kakashi only pointed out the ratings, so that's all I read."

Neji said, "Well, there's an impressive poem from some person that I think you should read."

"Why does this concern me?"

"I think there's actually a poem out in the world that even you can't critique," Neji said with a chuckle and walked off.

Itachi rolled his eyes in disbelief and looked through the newspaper which he'd failed to throw out for the poems.

One of them talked about dreams, another one talked about love. Then, there was one called "Jaded".

With a quirk of his brow, he started to read it.

_He looks at me, with that smirk,_

_He knows I'm jaded, and that, he says, is my stupid quirk._

_I let him kiss me, but he'll never touch me,_

_For I know that it'll be only a chance for him to hurt me._

_And then the day,when he knows I'm happy,_

_He goes in for the kill,and tries to slap me._

_I catch his hand,which makes him angry,_

_He kicks me down, and there he holds me._

_I fight back, and try to hit him,_

_But he stops me, his patience wearing thin._

_I say I hate him, spit in his face,_

_He tells me a woman, should know her place._

_I am gone now, he knows he's hated,_

_But now he knows, why I was jaded._

He had to admit that he was impressed. This was one of the best he'd seen and, for once in his life, he was speechless.

He looked up at the name of the person who wrote this to find only the name, "Haruno S".

"Haruno S," he read aloud.

He didn't know but, but he knew he needed to find this Haruno S. He didn't know when, but he was going to meet her. He was going to meet the first poet who had ever rendered him speechless.

* * *

"You sound very insane right now, Dude," Shikamaru told Itachi as he took a drag of his cigarette. "This poem's got you wrapped around its nonexistent little finger."

"I-I'm just impressed," Itachi replied defensively. "You make it sound like I'm obsessed with it."

"Tell me, how many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

"Three," answered the Uchiha, suddenly remembering how tired he was.

"How many hours do you usually get?"

"Like, six," he answered again, trying to remember how many hours he slept a night.

"And why did you lose three hours of sleep?"

"I stayed up looking up the name, 'Haruno'," he answered with a sigh. "But I'm not obsessed."

"Are you sure?" asked Shikamaru, butting out his cigarette in the ash tray. "You certainly seem to be infatuated with it."

"Well, I'm not," Itachi corrected.

Shikamaru put his hands up as if to say, "Don't kill me!" He really said, "Hey, I'm playing the Devil's Advocate here; you wanted my advice and I'm giving it."

"Well, what _is_ your advice?"

"Take a couple days from work, get yourself a good girl and do her nonstop until you can convince yourself you're not in love with a poem."

"Very funny," commented Itachi dryly. "I don't go out with girls often."

"Girlfriend, boyfriend, whichever you prefer."

"I'm not gay," Itachi ground out through clenched teeth.

"Could've fooled me."

Itachi stood and said, "Thanks for the 'great' advice, I'll definitely consider it. Goodbye."

"Later, Poem-Lover," Shikamaru replied with a curt wave of his hand.

Itachi silently growled and slammed the door to Shikamaru's house shut on his way to his car.

_Some counselor he'd make, _he thought as he drove down the highway, steaming over his discussion with Shikamaru. _He doesn't know shit._

He headed back to his house to find yet another message on his answering machine.

"Not now, Mom," he mumbled, falling onto the couch and draping an arm over his eyes.

Soon enough, he was asleep.

* * *

A/N: Tee hee, Itachi's in love with a poem!


	3. Uchiha Sasuke

A/N: Ooh, next chapter! I hope ya likes!

* * *

"Haruno Haruno Haruno," Itachi mumbled to himself, looking through the phone book. "Where are all the damn Harunos?"

Then, he came upon the name he was looking for... along with several others with the same name...

"Well, that really narrows it down," he said, tossing the book onto the floor with a sigh.

It had been a week since he'd found the poem and every way he found for looking up the author ended in a dead end.

He sighed yet again, and opened the book to the H section again. Once he found Haruno, he dialed the number.

Dead end. He dialed the next, then the next, then the next and so on.

"How the hell was I to know she was fucking unlisted!" he yelled, tossing the damned book across the room.

He growled and held his head in his hands. This was becoming very frustrating.

Then, there was a knock at his door.

He threw the door open and glared at Deidara. "What?" he snapped.

"Woah, you having some kind of a spaz-attack or something, yeah?" asked Deidara, taking a step back in surprise.

Itachi massaged the bridge of his nose and stepped to the side to let his friend in.

Deidara walked inside and sat on the couch. "Wow, did a tornado come through here, hm?"

"No, I've been a bit preoccupied," answered Itachi, shutting the door and sitting beside Deidara.

"And you haven't been answering your phone, either, hm," he stated, pointing at the answering machine that had several messages waiting to be played.

"It's only my mother."

"How do you know, yeah?"

"Who else calls me?"

The blond walked to the phone and played the answering machine. "Let's hear 'em then."

"First message," the humanoid voice said. Then, his mother's voice came on, telling him that he couldn't avoid her forever and that he had to talk to her.

The next few messages said the same thing. Then, it was a message from Neji, one from Shikamaru asking if he'd dated any nice men lately.

Then, there was one from Kakashi, saying that he got news about the author of the poem.

Itachi rushed to the phone and dialed his phone number.

"About damn time you called me," was what Kakashi said when he answered the phone on the third ring. "Don't you check your phone anymore?"

"Yeah, sorry, been preoccupied," Itachi apologized. "Now, what's this news?"

"She emailed the poem, so we don't have an address," Kakashi told him.

"Well, what was the name of the sender?"

"That's the weird thing, Itachi," Kakashi replied, "It's Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

"So, either Sasuke once had an abusive gay lover, or somebody used his email," Itachi concluded, sitting with Deidara.

"Um, Dude, I love you like a brother and all, but you need a life, hm."

Itachi glared daggers at the blond."I _have_ a life."

"Doesn't seem like it, yeah."

"Okay, I have an idea," Itachi said, ignoring Deidara's comment. "I'll call that telephone place where they give phone numbers to you."

"Don't you need to have a name, yeah?"

"I have Haruno S."

"Well, don't blame me when your plan goes down in smoke, hm."

Itachi dialed the number and put the phone to his ear. When a computer answered the phone, he told it the information he had.

"There are twenty-two phone numbers with the name, Haruno," the computer stated.

"Haruno S," Itachi said through gritted teeth.

"There are sixteen phone numbers with the name Haruno S."

Itachi hung up the phone and bit his thumb in frustration.

"Did you ever think of calling Sasuke?"

"Not going to."

"Why not?"

"That means I'll have to go over to my parents' house to force the name out of him."

Deidara asked, "Is that a bad thing, hm?"

"It's a _terrible_ thing; I spent three years staying away from that damned house. How can I go back there now?"

"Well, I guess it's a matter of what's more important, yeah."

_Wow, he actually said something astute..._

Itachi sighed and started dialing his mother's home number.

"Hey, Mom," greeted Itachi with a sigh. "I'll be stopping by tomorrow- Yeah, not for long, I just need to talk to Sasuke for a bit. I'll come by about noon, okay? Bye."

He hung up the phone and held his head in his hands. "This had better be worth it."

* * *

A/N: XD


	4. Information

A/N: X3

* * *

Itachi pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. He was trying to find a way to talk himself out of doing this, but, however he tried to convince himself, finding this author outweighed it by a great deal.

He got out of the car and headed for the door. Once he opened it, he was thrust into the sounds of his mother and father arguing and Sasuke blaring his music to drown out the sound.

"Somethings never change," he mumbled to himself, heading up the stairs to his brother's room.

He knocked on the door, but nobody answered. He knocked again, but, still, nobody answered.

He figured the music was way too loud for Sasuke to hear, so Itachi opened the door to see Itachi laying on his bed, sulking.

He walked into the room and shut off the music.

Sasuke shot his head up to Itachi and glared at him as their parents' voices carried up the stairs.

"I was listening to that," the younger said.

"Well, some things are more important."

"Like what?"

"Like the person named Haruno S."

"What do you want to know about her?"

"Who she is, what's her name?" asked Itachi. "Where can I find her? Why she wrote that poem?"

"She wrote a lot of poems," replied Sasuke.

"It was called, 'Jaded'."

"Never heard of it."

"Never?"

"Never, she ran off a few weeks ago, so maybe she wrote it then?"

"Well, what's her name?"

"Why are you so curious about her?"

"Just answer the question, Sasuke."

Sasuke sighed and said, "Her name is Haruno Sakura and I was dating her for two years before she ran off to her mother's house. She said something about having enough of my attitude."

"Sounds like a mother," Itachi commented, trying to put his brother in a good mood so he'd tell him more.

Sasuke chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Is there anything else? If there isn't, I've got a date with 1980's heavy metal."

"Where can I find her?"

Sasuke looked at him quizzically. "Why?"

"I just need to talk to her."

Sasuke sighed again and said, "She's a nurse, she works at the Konoha Hospital in downtown. You know it?"

Itachi nodded, turned Sasuke's music back on and left, shutting the door behind himself. He walked back down the stairs and was about to leave the house when he stopped, hearing his father's voice.

Hearing his voice, hoarse from shouting, brought back all of the memories he had of his father's strict parenting and Itachi's blood boiled.

He walked into the kitchen and the two parents stopped their shouting to stare at their estranged son in disbelief.

Itachi glared at his father and said, "I thought I'd tell you before I left that, father, you make one shitty lawyer."

His father's face turned beat red and it looked like he was going to backhand his son, but Itachi left before he could.

He hopped into his car and gripped the steering wheel, smirking in satisfaction.

He had just stood up to his father and he finally got a solid lead to finding the girl he'd been looking for. He even got a name!

"Haruno Sakura," he said aloud, starting the ignition and pulling out of the driveway. "Not that terrible of a name."

* * *

Itachi dialed the number to the Konoha hospital and got a receptionist.

"Hi, may I please talk to Haruno Sakura-san, please?"

"Um, I'm not sure if she's working right now, but I'll go and see if she is," the receptionist replied kindly and put him on hold.

He was forced to listen to a crappy cover of some song he swore he hadn't heard in fifteen years. Then, the music stopped and he heard a tired-sounding voice say, "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Haruno Sakura?"

"Yes," answered the girl. "May I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Itachi, I work for the Konoha Post and I was wondering if I could set up a day where you and I could talk?"

"Um, what is this for?"

"For... an article I'm working on about working as a nurse."

"I have a day off tomorrow, are you free then?"

Shit, he had to work.

"Yeah, I'm free," he lied, "Where would you like to meet?"

"Um, how about the restaurant inside the hospital?"

Itachi agreed and hung up.

_Time to call Neji... _

He called his boss and faked sick. Of course, he was told that, as long as he emailed the next issue by five o'clock the next night, he could stay home.

And he started getting ready for his big day. He needed to find a way of explaining himself to the girl without sounding like a complete psycho.

_Easier said than done..._

* * *

Itachi walked into the hospital restaurant and looked around.

He'd called Sasuke and asked him what Sakura looked like and got, "Pink hair, green eyes and she's _very_ loud."

So, he just had to find a loud girl with pink hair and green eyes, explain himself to her and talk to her about her writing.

Itachi looked around the restaurant, then saw something pink on the other side. He walked over to it to see it was only some kind of poster.

Then, he turned to see a person with short pink hair walking into the restaurant and he headed over to the person.

"Haruno Sakura?" he asked.

The girl turned to look at him and it looked like she was going to have a heart attack.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Um- No, I called you yesterday about an article?"

"Oh," she replied, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, you look a lot like a person I knew."

He nodded and asked, "Would you like to sit down?"

She nodded and the two found a place to sit down. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes while Itachi made a desperate attempt to find something to say. Needless to say, he failed.

"So, may I know your name?"

"M-My name?"

Sakura giggled and nodded. "Yes, your name."

"My name is Uchiha Itachi."

Her brow furrowed and she said, "Wow, it may just be a coincidence, but you have the same last name as a guy I once dated."

Itachi sighed and said, "It's not a coincidence. I'm Uchiha Sasuke's brother. I found out your name through him."

Sakura paled and said, "Well, if it was for your article-"

"No," he cut-in. "You see, I'm not a newspaper journalist; I'm a columnist. My column is called, 'Critique Corner', maybe you've heard of it?"

She nodded.

"My editor showed me a poem that he thought I should read and I did," he explained. "It was one of the best poems I've read."

She looked at him quizzically. "What does this have to do with me?"

"It was your poem, Haruno-san."

"You mean, 'Jaded'?"

Itachi nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about it."

"I-I'm sorry, but I have to go," Sakura said, rushing off.

Itachi couldn't help but just watch her leave in surprise. What was that about?

He sighed and ran a hand through his bangs.

_At least now, I might be able to get some sleep..._

* * *

A/N: So sorry, Itachi, bit we're not quite finished torturing you yet!


	5. Haruno Sakura

A/N: I think this chapter has some funny in it! Itachi gets a stalker!

* * *

Itachi lay in his bed, staring up at the roof.

He just couldn't understand it. He'd met the author and, though it wasn't very long, he'd spoken to her. So, why could he still not sleep?

Why, why, WHY?

_Maybe Shikamaru was right; maybe I am a little obsessed with that poem, _he pondered, rolling onto his side. _This probably isn't going to go away until I have an actual talk with Sakura-san, _he supposed. _I guess I've got to find her again._

How he was going to do that, he had no idea.

He rolled onto his belly and shoved his face into his pillow. Maybe he could just suffocate himself and put himself out of his insomniac misery.

Of course, that would never work, air could still get through. He'd be better off using water or something so he really couldn't breathe.

_Too tired to get out of bed, though..._

* * *

The next day, Itachi called the same place for Sakura's number.

Once he got the number, he debated whether he should call her.

He must've seemed like a total stalker to her. Not to mention she knew that he was related to Sasuke and, hell, nobody liked Sasuke.

Well, to get what he wanted, he'd have to make a few sacrifices.

He dialed the number.

When a girl answered, he asked, "Hi, is this Haruno Sakura?"

"Yes, it is."

"Hi, I'm really sorry about scaring you the other day," he apologized with a sigh.

"Uh- Okay..."

"And I just wanted to ask if you would meet with me again."

"I-I'm sorry, but who is this?"

Itachi blinked. Did she really not remember the goings on of the day before? Could she really be that forgetful?

"Uchiha Itachi, do you not remember-"

"Uchiha Itachi the columnist?"

"Yes."

"Oh, my God, Hiro, I'm talking to _the_Uchiha Itachi!" she yelled away from the phone. Then, she said to Itachi, "I am a huge fan of yours! Your critiques are, like, so awesomely poetic."

Itachi sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose in disappointment. He said, "Wrong number," and hung up the phone.

Then, it hit him. He wasn't supposed to call looking for Haruno Sakura's phone number, he was supposed to be asking for her mothers!

He clenched the phone in his hand so tight he thought he'd break it. He wished it would. The damn phone had given him nothing but trouble as of late.

Then the phone rang. He answered it without looking at the Caller ID.

"Hi! I've got your number on speed dial now!" the Haruno Sakura he'd just spoken to exclaimed with a giggle.

He hung up the phone and pulled the cord from the wall.

* * *

After a few days, Itachi hooked his phone back up and felt relieved that his little stalker hadn't called since.

But, he had gotten several messages from his mother, telling him she was not impressed with his behavior when he went to talk to Sasuke.

Then, the phone rang and the caller ID showed a number he didn't recognize.

"Yes?"

"Uh- It's Haruno Sakura."

This certainly wasn't the Haruno Sakura he'd spoken to not even a week ago. Was this the right one?"

"Hi," he greeted awkwardly.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized, "for running off on you. I feel really bad-"

"Don't," Itachi interjected. "I should be the sorry one. I acted like a jerk."

"No, you didn't," she corrected. "You just wanted to ask me some questions. I-I guess I just got a little stunned when you said you were related to Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah, I know."

"You do?"

"Sasuke told me about how you ran off."

"It wasn't like that," she said a little too quickly. "You see, the poem you read was written out of the experiences I'd had in my relationship with Sasuke-kun, so..."

"Oh," was all Itachi could say.

He knew Sasuke was an ass, but this created a new low for Itachi's younger brother. And just when he thought the prick couldn't get any worse.

"So, um, could we meet up sometime?"

"Um," Itachi dragged out, joking.

"I-I mean, not that I deserve it," she said a little too quickly. "I was so rude to you when you were just being nice and-"

"Sakura-san," he interjected, "I can meet up with you."

"Well, when do you have a day free?"

"Tomorrow, if you're free."

"That's fine with me, would you like to meet at Ichiraku's Restaurant at about, maybe, noon?"

"Okay, thank you."

"No problem."

And the two hung up.

Maybe he wasn't going to go nuts, after all.

* * *

A/N: See the funny? I love the funny! X3


	6. Date

A/N: Uh-oh, Itachi's got a date! Will it go well? Read and find out!

* * *

Itachi pulled into the Ichiraku's parking lot, tapping his fingers to the beat of a random song that was playing on the radio.

For once in a long while, he was in a fairly good mood. He was _finally _going to get some answers. This wasn't another false lead, this was for real and he'd be able to get some information in- oh, about four minutes.

He got out of the car and headed into the restaurant to meet with Sakura.

Once he got inside, he cringed at the sound of two little brats screaming in the corner.

_Drown 'em, _he thought bitterly. _No, no, I doubt Sakura-san would like to talk to me after I got blamed for the death of two kids._

"Oh, Itachi-san!"

He turned and saw Sakura, holding the hands of the two kids that had been screaming.

He wanted to slap himself.

"Hey, Sakura-san," he said, putting on a fake smile... he hated smiling... "How've you been?"

"I'm doing alright, thanks," she replied. "These two cuties are Kisa and Sayu."

"Oh, so you babysit on your days off?"

Sakura nodded and ruffled the girls' hair. "Their mom is neighbors with my mom."

Itachi nodded. "Well, shall we eat?"

Sakura nodded and the girls jumped up and down with excitement.

He looked at the kids in puzzlement. Was eating so exciting for them?

He dismissed the thought and headed for the table where Sakura and the kids had first been sitting at, then took a seat.

Sakura sat on one side, but the two girls squished into the bench where Itachi sat and giggled at him.

The kids' clothes were well-used, it was easy to see. They looked like little hoodlums, if it weren't for their toothy grins.

One of them, a red-head with green eyes smiled wider at him, showing off her two missing front teeth. "The tooth fairy came!"

"Did she?" he asked, quirking a brow. "How much money did she give you?"

"Oh, she didn't give me money," the girl said, smiling wider yet, if it was even possible, "she told Mommy that I was a good girl and for her to give me a big hug and a kiss for her when I woke up!"

Itachi looked at Sakura curiously.

She nodded, smiling warmly.

He looked back at the girl and ruffled her grimy hair. She giggled and touched her head happily.

A waitress came by and took their orders.

Itachi watched the girls look through the menu, looking as if they were in awe at how wonderful everything in it seemed.

Finally, they each chose a bowl of miso ramen.

When they got the food, the kids wolfed down the ramen in mere minutes. Itachi could only stare in amazement and disgust.

Suddenly he wasn't very hungry.

He looked at Sakura again, who smiled apologetically and took a few nibbles of her _dango_.

He remembered the reason they were meeting up and he cleared his throat. "So, how long were you and Sasuke dating?"

She swallowed slowly and answered, "Two years."

"Two years ago... he'd just come back from his three years in Europe, right?"

She nodded. "I begged him not to go, but he wouldn't hear it. I was so sad when he left."

"He was so adamant about going to Europe," Itachi added, "he wouldn't listen to our parents, either."

Sakura nodded, a look of nostalgia on her face.

"You love him?"

She looked up at him abruptly and shook her head quickly. "No! No, I don't love him. I-I hate him."

He nodded, not quite convinced.

"I hate him," she repeated softly, as if to convince herself as she stared into her food.

The little blond girl stared at Itachi's food longingly and he pushed it in front of her and her sister.

The feeding frenzy started all over again.

"They act as if they haven't eaten in years," he commented.

She smiled apologetically again. She said, "Uh, check please."

Itachi took out his wallet and pulled out enough money to pay for the entire bill plus a fairly decent tip for the waiter.

Sakura protested, "Oh, you don't have-"

"It would be my pleasure," he cut-in, placing the money on the table.

The kids stared at the money in amazement.

He blinked in wonderment and handed them each a few dollars, saying, "Why don't you go buy yourself an ice cream before we leave?"

The kids looked up at him as if he was their greatest hero and ran off to see what flavors they had.

"That was very kind of you," Sakura commented.

He shrugged. "It was just a few dollars."

"Not to them," she corrected. "That must've meant the world to them."

He shrugged again and waited for the girls to come back with their ice cream cones.

"Why don't I drive all of you home?" suggested Itachi, standing.

"Beats taking the bus," replied Sakura, standing, as well.

Itachi unlocked the doors and got into the driver's seat while Sakura took the passenger's and the kids took the back.

Sakura gave him the directions as he drove and they finally made it to Sakura's house.

Her house had two floors and a balcony on the second floor. Beside it was a house that was at least half the size of Sakura's house and it looked to be in desperate need of a paint job.

"Is that their house?" he asked, staring at the weather-beaten bungalow.

Sakura nodded. "I'll go walk them to the door."

She stepped out of the car, got the kids and walked them to the door, where they ran inside excitedly.

Sakura walked back to the car and poked her head through the window. "I want to thank you. I had a great time today."

"It's mutual," Itachi replied and watched Sakura walk into her house.

He backed out of the driveway and started for his apartment, smiling... this time, not a forced smile. A real one...

A real smile... How long had it been since he'd smiled for real? He couldn't remember the last time.

A/N: Aw, I think Ita-kun's in love! ... That means more torture! XD

Stay tuned for the next chapter and don't touch that dial or I'll saw your hand off! n.n


	7. Other Sakura?

A/N: Well, today, you learn just who the other Haruno Sakura is! I hope she lives up to your expectations!

* * *

The next morning, Itachi awoke, well-rested and not tired in the least.

Sleep... it was a wonderful thing.

He rolled over and looked at the clock to see that it was almost noon.

He sighed irritably and rolled onto his back. Of course... the first night he got to sleep well and he just had to oversleep.

He got out of bed and quickly ran out of his room so he could get to his laptop and email his next column to Kakashi.

If he didn't, well, it wouldn't be pretty.

He opened his email to find that the literature he'd be critiquing was waiting for him.

Clicking open the email, he saw that Kakashi had, also, added a little message.

_Haruno S. strikes again! _it said.

With a furrow of his brow, he began to read.

_Oftentimes, people underestimate the importance of miracles. No, I don't mean a dying person magically recovering from cancer, or a dead loved one coming back from the dead. I mean people doing little things just to make another person happy. Whether it be letting a child believe in the Tooth Fairy or buying underprivileged children lunch and an ice cream cone, it could mean the world to them. So, do well, and do good and, once in a while, do something to benefit somebody else instead of yourself, you may find the rewards are endless._

He couldn't help but smile. Yes, Haruno S. had struck again.

_This particular writer uses their sense or morality and decency to their advantage in writing this paragraph. Great grammar, great tone, great voice and spectacular use of words. I look forward to more of this author's interesting work._

He smiled wider and sent the critique.

* * *

Itachi drove into Sakura's driveway uncertainly. He reluctantly shut off the car ignition and stepped out of the car, mentally rehearsing what he was going to say.

He knocked on the door, his mind screaming, _RUN AWAY! _The door opened to reveal a lady with graying brown hair and green eyes.

"Hello, m-maybe this is the wrong house... is this the Haruno residence?"

The lady nodded.

"Is Haruno Sakura home right now?"

"You're talking to her, Honey," the lady stated.

_Wait a minute, I recognize that voice... she's...uh-oh, run away before she recognizes you!_

"Wait, I saw your face in the newspaper!" the lady exclaimed. "You're Uchiha Itachi!"

"Uh, yeah, I am," he replied nervously, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Your daughter wouldn't happen to be-"

"I am a huge fan!" interrupted Sakura. "Your critiques are, like, so awesomely poetic!"

_Who'd think an old lady could talk like that?_

"It's always nice to meet a fan," he stated. "Is your daughter home?"

"No, she's next door, babysitting."

"Thank you, Haruno-san," he thanked, walking away as fast as possible.

"Hey, Itachi-kun, are you single?" called Sakura.

"Sorry, I'm not," he lied, walking even faster.

He knocked on the door of the shabby house, praying for the Sakura he'd been looking for to answer.

Once she did, he wanted to hug her and tell her how scary her mother was, but held off on that.

"Itachi-san?" asked Sakura. "What're you doing here?"

"I was going to ask if you'd like to go to lunch, but I can see you're busy, so I'll just leave before your mother asks me to marry her."

Itachi was about to walk off when he heard Sakura giggle. "You met her?"

He nodded, saying, "If she asks you again, I am not single."

"Oh," replied Sakura taking a quick look at her feet. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"The Tooth Fairy," answered Itachi with a chuckle.

And she laughed. "The girls would love to hear that."

Itachi asked, "Where are they, anyway?"

"They're inside, would you like to come in?"

He nodded and walked inside as Sakura shut the door.

The girls rushed over and smiled up at Itachi.

He smiled half-heartedly at the girls and ruffled their grungy hair. "Guess who I saw yesterday."

"Who?" the girls asked in unison.

"The Tooth Fairy!"

Their eyes lit of and their smiles grew till they almost touched their ears.

"I asked her if she knew you and she said that you were very girls and for me to give you this." He knelt on one knee and opened his arms wide for a hug.

The girls ran into his arms and they gave each other a big hug.

Sakura was right. Doing something for others instead of oneself made one feel great.

* * *

A/N: That it does, though torturing people does, too!


	8. Kiss

A/N: Another chapter! X3 Enjoy!

* * *

"Itachi-chan," Mikoto's voice came through the answering machine. "You can't ignore me forever, you know. You're going to have to talk to me sometime."

"You're going to have to give up sometime," he replied to the empty room as he lay on the couch, munching on chips and reading a book.

"I just want you to know that we love you."

"No, you don't."

"And that we wish you could be home with us."

"Bullshit."

"Well, bye."

"And don't call back."

He continued to eat his chips and read his magazine.

Then, the phone rang. He looked at the caller ID to find that it was Sakura's cell phone.

He answered it quickly.

"Hey, Itachi," she greeted happily. "I was wondering if you'd like to- I don't know- go to a movie with me or something?"

"On one condition," he answered, sitting up, his chips and magazine long forgotten.

"What's that?" she asked, sounding a little worried.

"As long as it's just you," he told her. "No little kids, no fangirl mother, just Haruno Sakura... the Second."

There was a silence for a moment, then Sakura replied happily, "That can be arranged."

"Great, when and where?" He tried to keep his voice in check, but some of his excitement leaked through.

She giggled and answered, "Would tonight be a good time?"

"Uh- yeah, sure," he told her. "Do you want me to pick you up?"

"That'd be great," she said. "Oh, and I'll make sure I'll be the one to answer the door."

Itachi laughed and agreed.

They hung up and Itachi jumped from his seat to find something to wear.

* * *

Itachi pulled into Sakura's driveway, trying to be as casual as possible.

He saw her waiting on her doorstep in a pink halter top and matching skirt and felt his heart skip a beat. Was what he wore too casual? Was there a stain on his shirt? She was going to laugh at him, wasn't she? Oh, why had he never listened to his mother when she told him to wash behind his ears!

She got into the car and looked him up and down, Itachi expected her to jump out of the car then and there, then said, "You look great!"

"You do, too," he replied, smiling a real smile.

She buckled herself in and they set out to the movie theater.

"So, what movie did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could decide when we got there," she answered, smiling sheepishly.

"Okay," he replied, looking back to the road.

When they got inside the theater, they decided on a movie and Itachi payed for both tickets, Sakura insisting she could pay for her own. Then, when he paid for the snacks, she vowed to pay him back, which Itachi only gave her a chuckle to.

They sat in the seats as the movie started and Itachi couldn't help but sneak a glance or two at Sakura every once in a while.

He slowly moved his arm onto the arm rest, then onto hers, then, onto her arm, then to her hand were he entangled his fingers with hers and she squeezed his hand.

Then, when the main character had his "romantic scene" he decided to have a romantic scene of his own.

He reluctantly turned and placed his lips to Sakura's hand, then looked back to the movie, knowing full-well that Sakura was beat-red.

He looked at her through the corner of his eye to see her staring at her hand in surprise. Then, he leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

He went back to watching the movie, then found Sakura face in front of his and he smiled goofily and she smiled back, planting a kiss on his lips that was far from innocent.

First kiss in a crummy chick flick movie theater... figured...

* * *

A/N: ... You'd think he'd be a little more appreciative! I could've turned him into a chicken if I so wished, but I didn't, because I'm nice! But, NOOOOO, he has to be unappreciative! That's it, I'm gonna turn him into a chicken!


	9. Cruel Fate

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I'm such a procrastinator! n.n;

* * *

Itachi was in a position where he couldn't sleep. It wasn't as annoying as it had been, it was explained now. His stomach was all fluttery and his mind was racing a mile a minute. He was infatuated, love-dovey, fond, crushing, enchanted, impassioned... in love.

He never felt this way before and being liked back made it so much better. Now that he felt this, he felt he could never let it go. He felt he could jump from the rooftops without a care and live to tell Sakura how he felt about her.

He wanted to call her just to hear her voice. Hear her call his name, hear her wonderful voice that sounded sweeter than the sweetest honey.

He wanted nothing more in the world than to hear her say it over and over and over again like the softest lullaby until her voice was hoarse.

He wanted to dream of her while he slept and hold her and kiss her while he was awake. He wanted to whisk her away to anywhere as long as they were alone and never let her go.

Then, he caught himself. He was getting way too ahead of himself. It was only the day of his first kiss and he was thinking of spending his life with her already? What had gotten into him? He was going soft!

Next thing you know, he'd be having tea time with his father!

He sighed and rolled onto his side, trying to sleep.

Why did going soft have to feel so good?

* * *

"So, you're in love with both the poem and the poet?" asked Shikamaru.

"No," answered Itachi, "Don't you see? It's as if the poem wanted me to find her and meet her!"

"Itachi," Shikamaru said gravely, sitting forward and lacing his fingers with one another. "I think, and I mean this in the sincerest of ways, a total fucking lunatic."

"Why is that?"

"The poem 'wanted' you to find her? Poems can't 'want', Itachi, they're _inanimate_ objects! This girl has got you going nutty and you don't even know it!"

Itachi sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "I seriously don't get how you're going to make a counselor, Shikamaru, you don't even understand a figure of speech."

"Didn't seem like one."

"Well, it was."

"And I'm not going to be a 'counselor', I'm going to be a psychologist."

"Oh, they're pretty much the same thing anyway!"

"Psychologists are much more professional."

"Sure, they are," Itachi replied dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Well, anyway, I'm glad you're finally happy, but just be careful not to get too far into something you can't get out of."

Itachi looked at his friend with puzzlement, not quite sure what he was implying, but nodded anyway.

"Okay, now get out of here, I've got studying to do."

Itachi nodded with a chuckle and walked out of Shikamaru's apartment.

He got into his car and headed back to his own apartment, pondering what Shikamaru had meant.

How could he get himself too far into his relationship with Sakura? They hadn't even declared themselves an item!

He heard his cell phone ringing and picked it up.

"Hey, Itachi," Sakura greeted.

"Oh, hey," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I was wondering if I could come visit you?"

"Uh, where?"

"At your place," answered Sakura uncertainly. "Well, you've been to my place, I wanted to see your home."

"Well, if you'd like to, I don't see why not."

"Great! Where do you live?"

Itachi gave her the address and hung up, a feeling of giddiness in the pit of his stomach.

Now he understood. He was already way too deep. He felt like he was madly in love with her, but had no idea if she felt the same.

Fate sure was cruel.

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes it is... And he's lucky I didn't turn him into a chicken!


	10. Boyfriend

A/N: I know this is short, but it's so fluffy! Gotta love the fluff!

* * *

A knock sounded at the door and Itachi jumped to answer it, knowing who his visitor was.

He threw the door open and smiled at Sakura while she smiled back, her face a little flushed. He quickly let her inside and sat down with her.

"W-Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee? Juice?"

"Uh, juice would be fine, thank you," answered Sakura, looking around the room curiously.

He quickly jumped up and rushed off to get the juice.

"You have a very nice home," she hollered into the other room, gazing upon the pictures of his family.

"Thank you," he replied sitting down with her drink. "I tried to clean it up as nicely as I could when you asked to come over."

She smiled warmly and took a drink of her juice. "Do you speak with your family often?"

"Oh, no," he answered, staring at the pictures. "I don't know why I haven't taken those down yet. I don't talk to them anymore. I had a... disagreement with my father and haven't spoken to him since."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be, you didn't make my father an ass."

She nodded and took another drink of her juice, then looked at the picture of Sasuke.

"It's been a long time since I've spoken to him," she admitted. "Sometimes I wonder if he thinks of me or if he even cared to begin with."

"Sasuke's always been the type to hide his feelings."

She nodded in agreement. "I swore I would never care for another man again... it hurt too badly, I thought."

Itachi couldn't help but feel let down. So she didn't care about him after all.

"But..."

_But...?_

"Then you com along and I think you were just trying to finish what Sasuke-kun started," she went on. "You survived a whole conversation with my mother and I wouldn't be surprised if you called every Haruno in the phone book."

He blushed slightly, looking away in embarrassment.

"When my mother told me that '_the_ Uchiha Itachi' had called, I knew that it couldn't have been a trick."

He looked back at Sakura in puzzlement. What exactly was she getting at? Was she just trying to let him down easily? This certainly didn't seem easy.

"I-I called you and when we met again, you seemed so nice," she added. "I knew you'd be a great friend."

Ah, this was the, "we're great friends but we'll never be more than friends" talk.

"I never thought we could be more than that, until I saw how wonderful you were with the children. They absolutely adore you and I thought you could make a great boyfriend."

He looked at Sakura in utter confusion. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

"What I'm saying is," she concluded. "W-Would you be my boyfriend?"

Itachi blushed and stared at her hands which were now holding his in his lap. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.

She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

When they parted, both of them panting, he whispered, "You can consider that a yes."

She smiled happily, her face flushed and nodded. She lunged on him, almost making him fall off the couch, and hugged him tightly.

He awkwardly hugged her back, not very used to people treating him this way and smiled. For once, he was wrong and he was happy that he was.

* * *

Kakashi did not like his line of work. He wanted to be something so much more interesting with much more action, like a cop or a firefighter, or something.

But, no, he had to be a stupid editor for an even more stupid newspaper. But, hey, whoever said life was fair, right?

That's why he set Itachi up on finding that poet chick. It gave him something to laugh at, not to mention he could get some enjoyment watching his friend and

His computer bleeped, telling him he had a new email and he figured it was Itachi's column.

When he opened the file, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Just as he'd hoped (and planned) he'd found the poet girl and was probably screwing her at that very moment. Lucky bastard.

If only things went that way for everybody.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, Kaka-sensei! Maybe the next story I write will be about you! n.n


	11. Car Accident

A/N: There's yet another reason why I titled this Speechless in this chapter!

* * *

Sakura and Itachi sat on a couch, babysitting a little boy.

"So, how many kids do you babysit?" Itachi asked curiously.

"I babysit for anybody that asks me to," answered Sakura, smiling at the little boy that was playing with his toy bulldozer in the middle of the floor.

"And how much do you charge?"

"Nothing."

Itachi was dumbfounded at the mere word. Once again, Haruno Sakura had rendered him speechless. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," she repeated.

"Okay," he replied, looking at the little boy. "Then I have one question to ask you."

"What's that?"

"Do you kick puppies in your spare time?"

Sakura looked at him in puzzlement, as if not understanding what he'd just said. "Excuse me, I don't think I heard you right."

"Well, you seem too perfect, so I was wondering if you kick puppies."

"Oh, no," she answered giggling. "I'm far too busy volunteering at the orphanage and nursing stray kittens back to health."

Itachi was silent... this _was_ too good to be true.

"That's what's called a joke," Sakura stated, giggling.

"Oh," Itachi replied, chuckling sheepishly. "I-I knew that."

"Sure, you did," she said dryly, giggling even more.

Then, the door opened to reveal the boy's mom and she walked inside.

"Thank you so much, Sakura," she said, hugging Sakura. "You have no idea how much this helps me."

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Sakura replied, smiling back. "Little Keitaro was an angel."

Keitaro's mother smiled down at him and said, "That means you can have a cookie."

Keitaro beamed up at Sakura and ran into the kitchen to have his cookie.

"Thanks again, Sakura," repeated the mother.

"Anytime."

Sakura and Itachi walked out of the house and hopped into his car. He backed out of the driveway and headed back toward his apartment with Sakura.

"So, you're a nurse, you babysit 'financially challenged' children, do you even have a downside or are you really perfect?"

"Well, I tend to trust people too much," she answered.

Itachi furrowed his brow at the road. "How so?"

"Like with Sasuke-kun, I trusted him too easily."

"Oh," was all Itachi could think to say as he pulled into his driveway and shut off the ignition.

She nodded sadly as she stepped out of the car with him and headed into the apartment.

"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore, you've got me."

"And I'm lucky to have you."

Itachi chuckled as he opened his door and let her inside.

"You've got a message," Sakura commented, looking at the answering machine.

"What else is new?" he inquired, plopping down on the couch.

"What if it's important?"

"It isn't," he answered. "It's just going to be my mother. 'Please come home', blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine."

"Are you not close to your family?"

"You could say that."

"Mind if I see if it's important?"

"Be my guest." Itachi headed over to his laptop to look for his next column as Sakura checked the message.

After a few moments, she looked to him with worry evident on her face and said, "I-Itachi, you might want to hear this."

Itachi sighed and hit the replay button on the answering machine to hear his mother's voice.

"Itachi," she said and he noted her tear-stained voice and absence of the "chan" title. "Please, call me back. I-I'm not asking you to come home, I just want you to come to the Konoha hospital. It's you're father, he had a car accident driving home from work and he's hurt badly, he's in the hospital. They don't think he'll make it."

Itachi practically fell out of his chair when he heard that. His father was dying?

He stood and walked with Sakura out of the apartment and got into the car to head for the hospital.

* * *

A/N: ... Oops... o.o


	12. Control

A/N: Is Fugaku going to die?!

* * *

Itachi and Sakura rushed into the hospital and went straight to the receptionist for information on Itachi's father.

"Uchiha Fugaku's room please?"

"I'm sorry, but it's passed visiting hours, Sir," the receptionist told him, not even looking up at the two.

"Well, I didn't ask if it was visiting hours or not," Itachi replied harshly, which made the lady look up curiously. "I asked you which room Uchiha Fugaku is staying in."

"I'm sorry, _Sir_," spat the lady, "But you will have to come back tomorrow."

He was ready to reach over the desk and slap the lady, but Sakura quickly intervened by running around the desk and looking through the files for the room number.

"Hey!" the lady shouted. "What do you think you're-"

"I work here," Sakura interjected with equally as much venom as the receptionists.

Itachi was, for what seemed to be the millionth time, speechless. Since when was Sakura so controlling and aggressive... it turned him on.

"Got it," Sakura said, running in the direction on the elevator, Itachi in tow, still pretty stunned.

"Hey, I'm going to call the police if you don't leave!" shouted the lady.

"Try it!" Sakura shouted back, "We'll be gone before they come!"

Itachi whispered to Sakura, "Is this a good idea?"

"I know her, she won't call the police, she's on parole and would do anything to stay away from cops," answered Sakura, hopping into the elevator.

Since when had Sakura been so cool and in control like this?

When they made it to the second floor, they went to room 234 and went inside where Fugaku was laying on a bed, connected to wires which lead to all sorts of machines that beeped and whirred around him.

Itachi couldn't help but pity the old man. He sat in the chair beside his bed and said to his unhearing ears, "Hello, Father, long time no see."

Sakura stood at the end of the bed, listening to Itachi talk to his unconscious father.

"Mother called me and told me you got into a car accident," he finally said. "I guess it must've been really bad considering all the bruises you have and that you can't hear me.

"I know we didn't have the greatest relationship and I know you know that I blamed you for that, but I've been spending a lot of time with Sakura lately and, even though we haven't known one another very long, she taught me a lot. Like compassion and doing good for others."

He smiled at Sakura who smiled back.

"So, when you get out of the hospital, I'm going to make things right," he went on. "I won't become a lawyer for you, but I won't avoid you or Mother or Sasuke anymore. We'll be a family again."

Then, the door opened and a nurse walked inside. "Hey, what're you two doing in here? Visiting hours were up over an hour ago."

"Sorry," Sakura apologized and took Itachi's arm, leading him out of the room and into the elevator. "We can visit him tomorrow if you want."

Itachi nodded without a word and walked out to his car to drive Sakura home.

When they got to the house, she smiled sadly at him and said, "The visiting hours are from ten in the morning until five at night, if you want to visit him tomorrow, you'll need to go in between those hours."

He nodded. "Will you come with me?"

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm really sorry about your dad."

"Me, too," replied Itachi, watching her step out of the car and walk into the house.

He backed out of the driveway and headed home himself.

* * *

The next day, Itachi drove to Sakura's house where she was waiting outside and got inside the car so they could head to the hospital.

The drive was a silent one. Neither of them could think of something to say to ease the tension of the mood.

They got to the hospital and headed straight up to the room and Itachi could swear he heard voices coming from inside.

"Mother must be here," he said, opening the door and walking inside, Sakura in tow.

Then, he froze when he noticed Sasuke sitting in the room and looked to Sakura nervously.

She only stood her ground, looking at Sasuke angrily.

"Sakura?" asked Sasuke. "Itachi, what is she doing here?"

"She's, uh, I mean-"

"I'm his girlfriend," Sakura stated, taking his hand.

Sasuke smirked and looked at Itachi. "Sucks to be you, Man."

Itachi glared at Sasuke and turned to leave with Sakura, but she didn't budge.

"Let's stay, okay?"

He nodded and sat in another chair beside Sasuke while Sakura sat on the other side of the bed.

"Hello again, Father."

* * *

A/N: Psych!


	13. Bad News

A/N: ... Not good news...

* * *

It had been a few days since the car accident and Itachi practically lived in the hospital, arriving there at the beginning of visiting hours and leaving no minute sooner than five o'clock.

He mostly spoke about his life after he'd left home, how being a cynical critic brought him to Sakura, who Sakura actually was.

But, soon enough, he just stopped talking. It wasn't that he'd run out of things to say, there were so many things he wanted to tell him... Unfortunately, the feeling that his father couldn't hear him and that he was unconscious seemed so much more clear than it had before.

So, he just sat beside the bed, not speaking a word, just watching his face intently for some sort of hint that Fugaku would wake up to arise as the machines beeped and whirred the the time of his heart.

Since Sakura worked at the hospital, she'd come by on her breaks and she'd talk to him, trying to get him out of his depressing state. When she'd ask him how the column's going he'd simply shrug, not looking away from his father's unemotional face.

"It's my fault," he finally concluded, after the third day of silence.

Sakura looked at him in confusion. "How do you figure that?"

"Mother came by a while ago," he explained. "I asked her if he'd been driving home from the firm when he got in the accident, but she told me that he was going to get me my birthday present."

"When's your birthday?"

"Today," answered Itachi, holding his head in his hands. "He could die because he wanted to make things right with me."

"Don't think like that," commanded Sakura reassuringly. "It's nobody's fault, these things happen sometimes."

"But why did it have to be my father? Why did it have to be at that time?"

"Nobody knows the answer," she told him. "These things just happen and nobody can stop it. It's just fate."

"Fate my ass," he replied through grit teeth. "Fate is nothing, a stupid excuse for everybody's issues."

"No, it isn't, Itachi," corrected Sakura. "It really isn't. It's real."

"Yeah, whatever," he said, going back to looking at his father, retreating into his silence once again.

"My lunch is up," Sakura stated, looking at her watch. "I've got to go now, okay?"

He nodded.

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then left.

* * *

It was the seventh day Fugaku was in the hospital and, well, things weren't looking any better.

Itachi had gone without shaving for two days now and was growing quite the stubble around his mouth.

Sakura was getting much more worried about him, seeing as how the latest reports on Fugaku showed that his life signs were slowly moving downward as his organs deteriorated.

In fact, she was surprised he was still alive with how injured his major organs were.

And then, came the last day Itachi spent in that hospital.

He sat in the chair he always sat in, staring down at his father's face like he always did, staying silent as he always had.

Then, the heart rate machine beeped slower and slower until it stopped completely, leaving nothing but a flat-tone behind.

At first, he was confused, not wanting to believe what that symbolized, but as the flat-tone carried on, the inevitable grew clear.

Fugaku, Itachi's only father, the man that Itachi was supposed to make amends with... was dead...

Tears grew in Itachi's eyes and his chin quivered. He choked back a sob as the tears spilled from his eyes and he buried his face in the bed until a doctor came in and shut off the machine and recorded the time of death.

* * *

A/N: ... Oopsie...


	14. Funeral

A/N: Wow things are sad nowadays...

* * *

The funeral was short.

Apparently Fugaku had been burning bridges for years, what with his overbearing nature and perfectionism.

Not many people showed up because of it, only Itachi, Sasuke, their mother and Sakura. Well, the only reason Sakura was even there was for emotional support for Itachi.

After the funeral, Itachi and Sakura left together, neither of them saying a word to Sasuke or his mother.

Once they got into the car, Itachi asked, "Will you stay with me for a while?"

"H-How long?"

"I don't know," he answered, "I just- I don't want to be alone tonight."

Sakura blushed and nodded. "Of course I'll stay."

Itachi nodded and gave his girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, turning on the car's ignition and driving away from the cemetery.

"Don't you want to talk to your mom?"

"What could I say, 'Sorry my father's dead, but your ungrateful son is here'?"

"I'm sure she doesn't see it that way,"

"She does."

"But you don't-"

"She does," Itachi interjected angrily. "I know that she does, I can see it in her eyes."

"That's just the sadness talking, she still loves you."

"Yeah, she loves the ungrateful son that caused her husbands stupid death!"

"That's not true and you know it!" snapped Sakura angrily. "He died by accident, you weren't in the car that hit him, you weren't hoping for him to die-"

"That's the thing, I was, Sakura, I was!" Itachi shouted at the steering wheel, almost making the car collide with a semi.

"What?" asked Sakura, her voice a mere whisper as they pulled into the parking lot.

"I-I thought I hated him," he confessed. "I wished he was dead and, look what happened, he's dead. He died because I wished it."

"It's a coincidence, Itachi," Sakura reassured him.

"Yeah, part of me knows that," he replied, leaning his head onto the steering wheel.

She placed a hand on his back while he cried, saying, "Why don't we go inside? I can make you a cup of tea."

He nodded and stepped out of the car, Sakura following suit, and they walked into the apartment together.

Once Sakura made him some tea, she sat on the couch beside him and let him lay his head in her lap.

With his head in her lap and his arms wrapped around her waist, Itachi felt completely safe. He felt so sheltered and protected and at home.

Where had she been all these years?

She ran her fingers through his hair and stroked a thumb over his cheek as she hummed softly to comfort him.

He sat up and took her hands in her own, kissing the tip of each finger, then kissed each of her cheeks, then kissed her mouth hungrily.

She squeaked in surprise when he deepened the kiss and tried to lay her down on the couch.

Itachi could feel both her reluctance and her want for him to continue. He silently hoped there was more want as he straddled her and kissed her feverishly.

Then, she placed her hands on either side of his head and managed to get her lips free, panting. "Not like this, Itachi."

"Why not?" he asked, trying to kiss her again, but she managed to dodge.

"You're upset, you're not in your right mind," she told him. "Please, let's wait a while for this, it should be special."

"Is this not special?" he asked, looking like a wounded puppy.

"This is very special, but I don't want either of us to have any regrets on the night we first make love, so let's wait."

Itachi nodded, getting off of Sakura and sitting on the couch again. He apologized and drank the entire cup of tea in two gulps, falling into the couch.

"There's no reason to be sorry," she said, cuddling into him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as tears welled in his eyes once again.

She held him until he fell asleep, then fell asleep beside him.

* * *

A/N: O.O I almost cried!


	15. End

A/N: Last chapter!

* * *

A few weeks later, Itachi lay beside Sakura in his bed, half-asleep.

"Itachi?" asked Sakura.

"Hm?"

"I love you," she told him softly.

Itachi tensed for a moment, then smiled softly, wrapping his arms tighter around her thin waist as he whispered in her ear, "I love you, too."

She shuddered at the feeling and giggled softly. "Are you sure you're not just saying that?"

"Positive," he answered, kissing the back of her neck which made her shudder once again.

"So, what do we do now?" she inquired. "Here we are, heartbroken lovebirds without a care in the world, what is there for us to do now?"

Itachi thought for a moment, then said, "I think I have an idea."

He got out of the bed and got dressed, Sakura following suit. They hopped into his car and started heading toward his mother's house.

* * *

One year later, Itachi and Sakura drove into the driveway and stepped out of their new station wagon. Itachi knocked casually on the door and Mikoto answered.

"Hey," Mikoto greeted happily hugging Itachi and Sakura. "Come in, come in!"

The two walked into the house and walked into the living room where Sasuke sat beside his new girlfriend, Ino.

The four exchanged hugs and sat down together.

Itachi rested a hand on Sakura's swollen belly while she fiddled with her diamond engagement ring.

"So, when's the baby due?" asked Mikoto excitedly.

"Well, she's going to be born before the wedding," answered Sakura.

"In about six weeks," added Itachi.

"You're going to be an uncle!" exclaimed Ino. "That means I might be an auntie!"

Sasuke looked away, blushing.

"Aww, Sasuke-chan's blushing!" teased Itachi, punching him playfully.

Sasuke blushed even more when Ino took his hand.

"What do you plan on naming her?"

"We don't really know yet," answered Sakura, holding her fiance's hand tighter. "You know the whole, a-baby-needs-to-look-like-their-name thing."

Mikoto nodded in understanding. "When I was pregnant with Itachi, I thought he was a girl and we were going to name him a foreign name, Clarice. Then, when he was born, we found out that she was a he and, by the look on his face, he looked like a little weasel, so we named him Itachi."

It was Itachi's turn to blush as all the other occupants of the room laughed.

"Anyway, why don't you tell us how you and Sakura-san met?" suggested Ino curiously.

"Well, it all started with a poem..."

* * *

A/N: About time I finished this story! I've been growing tired of it! Well, I'm glad you liked the story and thank you to everybody that has reviewed! I hope to see some of you in future stories! Until then,

Itachilova101


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